The present invention relates to communication systems and especially to methods and systems for providing delayed media unit sequences to end-users.
Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) allowed an end-user to control presentation of a previously stored program. The end-user was able to stop or pause the display of the recorded program, to advance or rewind the previously stored program.
U.S. reissue RE 36,801 of Logan et al describes a system that offers an end-user a certain amount of control on a received program, by storing the received program in a circular buffer and displaying selected portions (delayed by a selected delay period) to an end-user. This solution has some disadvantages. First, it requires to install such a device at each end-user""s premises. Second, since video, even in a compressed form, is memory consuming, the circular buffer can either store a very limited amount of video signals or it can be relatively expensive. The limited amount of stored video can allow to handle programs during a limited time period. Third, the system allows to xe2x80x9cskipxe2x80x9d commercials that are included in the broadcasted programs, thus causing monetary damages to the broadcasters and to the advertisers.
Near video on demand systems are known in the art. A brief description of some systems and methods for implementing near video on demand are illustrated at the following European patent applications: EP 0804028 of Ebihara, EP 1028588A1 of Inoue et al and PCT patent application WO99/291108 of Fransmae et al.
Near video on demand systems allow a user to purchase or rent prestored programs such as movies and the like, using a broadcast technique known as staggered time. These systems usually involve an interaction between an end-user and the system. Near video on demand systems are configured to handle pre-stored programs and not live programs. There is a need to provide a centralized system and method that allows an end-user to control a display of a live media unit sequences such as programs, in a broadcast environment.
There is a need to provide an efficient system and method that allows an end-user to control a display of live media unit sequences such as programs in a broadcast environment.
There is a need to provide a system and method that allows an end-user to control and display of live media unit sequences such as programs, said control including pausing a display of program, xe2x80x9cfast forwardingxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfast rewindingxe2x80x9d and the like for a relative long time period.
It is an object of the present invention to provide systems and methods for allowing an end-user to control a display of live media unit sequences in a broadcast environment. The method including the steps of: receiving a live media unit sequence, modifying and delaying the live media unit sequence by at least one delay period to provide at least one corresponding delayed media unit sequence; multiplexing at least two selected media unit sequences out of the live media unit sequence and the at least one corresponding delayed media unit sequence to form a multiplexed signal; transmitting the multiplexed signal to an end-user. The end-user can control the display of a media unit sequence by selecting a selected media unit sequence.
According to an aspect of the invention the amount of delayed media unit sequences and/or the delay period between successive delayed media unit sequences can be adjusted in view of various parameters such as, but not limited to, bandwidth constraints, other media unit sequences being provided to the end users, end-user""s viewing patterns, end-user""s requests to receive certain media unit sequences and the like.
According to an aspect of the invention, the system can receive end-user selection information indicating which events (such as the Super Bawl) or media unit sequences to process to provide the live media unit sequence and at least one delayed media unit sequence, a number of delayed media unit sequences and a preferred delay period between successive delayed media unit sequences. The system can receive said information and process it in advance or can receive a processed information reflecting the end-user""s preferences. The end-user""s selection information is then utilized to determine the delay period between successive delayed media unit sequences and the number of delayed media unit sequences.
The invention provides a system for allowing an end-user to control a display of a live media unit sequence, the system includes a reception interface, at least one delay and modification unit, a control unit and a multiplexer. The reception interface is configured to receive a live media unit sequence and to provide the live media unit sequence to the multiplexer and to at least one of the delay and modification units. A delay and modification unit is configured to receive the live media unit sequence (or a media unit sequence that was delayed by previous delay units), to generate at least one delayed media unit sequence by delaying the media unit sequence for a predefined period of time and modifying the delayed media unit sequence such that it can be distinguished from the live media unit sequence and other delayed media unit sequences originating from the same live media unit sequence. The delay and modification unit provides the delayed media unit sequence to the multiplexer.
According to another aspect of the invention the multiplexer is also configured to further multiplex additional media unit sequences, the additional media unit sequences are not related to the live media unit sequence. The control unit is configured to control the modifications of delayed media unit sequences such that they can be distinguished from each other and from additional media unit sequences. For example, assuming that the media unit sequences and additional media unit sequences are MPEG compliant programs and that each program/additional program/delayed program has a unique set of PIDs, then the control unit must confirm that the PIDs that are provided to the delayed program differ from the PIDs of the live program and those of the additional programs, especially those programs that are transmitted to the same end-users. Conveniently, a dedicated PID range is allocated to each delayed media unit sequence. Usually the PID allocation is reflected in information that is transmitted to the end user. For example, MPEG compliant Transport Streams deliver tables that include the mapping between PIDs and programs/elementary streams.
The invention provides a system that further has a control unit for analyzing the media unit sequences that are transmitted to end-users, and optionally to analyze end-users"" behavior and accordingly to modify the delay period between successive delayed media unit sequences, and to change the number of transmitted delayed media unit sequences that originate from the same live media unit sequence.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the live media unit sequence is provided to a broadband multimedia system that is configured to generate the delayed media unit sequences, and to dynamically switch between the live media unit sequence, the delayed media unit sequences and additional streams, such as media streams and data streams, from a plurality of sources to a plurality of destination.